What's on this week: Envoi Allen could star in an Easter feast for racing fans

Monday

The week begins on a thoroughly positive note with the gradual easing of coronavirus restrictions meaning the day's four fixtures at Wincanton, Fontwell, Stratford and Wolverhampton can all welcome owners back on course.

Amateur jockeys are also permitted to return from Monday and Wincanton's closing handicap hurdle () gives them the chance to mark the day in style.

Elsewhere, promising novice hurdler Stepney Causeway bids for a hat-trick for Dan and Harry Skelton in a Novices' Championship Hurdle Series qualifier at Stratford ().

Tuesday

The race to be 2020-21 champion jockey appears to be boiling down to a straight fight between Brian Hughes and Harry Skelton, and both have strong books on Tuesday. Hughes stays north with six rides booked at Newcastle, while Skelton travels to Warwick on his quest to overhaul the reigning champion.

Brian Hughes: the champion jockey has six rides at Newcastle on TuesdayCredit: John Grossick

The Veterans' Chase Series continues with leg six at Fakenham () and Wolverhampton keeps the action going into the evening with a seven-race all-weather card.

Wednesday

Dan Skelton and Nicky Henderson will have to pull off something remarkably special in the final month of the jumps campaign to stop Paul Nicholls winning a 12th champion trainers' title, and although the Ditcheat maestro is set for a quiet week on the track, he has entered Grade 1 winner San Benedeto in the hunter chase at Ludlow ().

The Fergal O'Brien-trained Elham Valley, third in the Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle at Cheltenham, holds two entries this week, one of which is on the same Ludlow card ().

The rest of the day's action comes courtesy of jumps meetings at Hexham and Southwell, and two evening all-weather fixtures, from Dundalk and Kempton.

Thursday

There are a fantastic four jumps cards to keep you entertained with Uttoxeter, Ffos Las and Wetherby hosting cards in Britain and Clonmel holding the fort in Ireland.

The West Wales National Handicap Chase at Ffos Las (4.07) has attracted plenty of interest with Hill Sixteen and Dominateur currently heading the weights.

Up-and-coming apprentice jockey Benoit de la Sayette, successful for his bosses John and Thady Gosden with Haqeeqy in the Lincoln, has two rides on Chelmsford's seven-race all-weather evening card.

Benoit de la Sayette rode Haqeeqy to victory in the Lincoln on his first turf rideCredit: Edward Whitaker

Friday

The focus is firmly on the all-weather as the campaign concludes in style on Lingfield's valuable Good Friday Finals Day card, with each of the six finals races set to be broadcast live on ITV4.

The £100,000 Middle Distance Championships () is the highlight and is set to feature Winter Derby winner Forest Of Dean, trained by John and Thady Gosden, clashing with Bangkok, who had beaten Forest Of Dean in a Winter Derby trial.

Bangkok (left) gets the better of Forest Of Dean at Lingfield in FebruaryCredit: Mark Cranham

The season eight all-stars will also be decided with Richard Kingscote in a good position to be crowned the all-weather's leading jockey over Hollie Doyle, Mick Appleby enjoying a healthy lead in his bid to be leading trainer for a fourth successive year and the Phil McEntee-trained Nortonthorpe Boy currently the winningmost horse with six wins.

The all-weather has a monopoly on Friday's racing with cards from Chelmsford and Newcastle, where the highlight is the Listed Ladbrokes Burradon Stakes ().

Saturday

The Flat campaign may have returned with a bang at Doncaster on Saturday, but fans of the turf have to wait until the weekend to dive back into the action when Musselburgh hosts its seasonal opener.

The Betway Queens Cup () headlines the card where a maximum field of 14 will battle it out for the £75,000 prize.

In Ireland, Fairyhouse holds the first of its three-day Easter Festival where classy performers Petit Mouchoir, Coeur Sublime and Felix Desjy all hold entries in the Grade A RYBO Handicap Hurdle ()

Haydock hosts the Challenger Series Finals, while Carlisle and Newton Abbot also host jumps fixtures before Wolverhampton rounds off the day with an all-weather meeting.

Sunday

There are two Grade 1s on offer on day two of the Easter Festival at Fairyhouse, and the Gold Cup Novice Chase () could feature Envoi Allen, who is on a recovery mission after losing his unbeaten record when falling in the Marsh Novices' Chase at Cheltenham.

Honeysuckle was the last winner of the EBF Mares Novice Hurdle Championship Final (), and runaway Cheltenham winner Telmesomethinggirl could bid to follow in her footsteps for Henry de Bromhead.

Honeysuckle: won the last running of the EBF Mares Novice Hurdle Championship FinalCredit: Edward Whitaker

In Britain, Plumpton hosts the Sussex Champion Hurdle () on its seven-race card with further jumps fixtures from Market Rasen and Hereford, and an all-weather meeting at Southwell rounding off the weekend's racing.

If you want the day's top stories . . .

Paul Nicholls pays tribute to 'true legend' Present Man after his retirement

British racing to receive £21 million from government's sport survival package

Revealed: the nine-figure sum that racing receives from the gambling industry

The Punt Daily: Tom Collins' free horse racing tip on Monday afternoon

Join Members' Club Ultimate and read tipping from the likes of Pricewise and Paul Kealy, all the big interviews and features, daily comment and news analysis – plus our Ultimate Daily newsletter. Click here to sign up.